It is certain that the word is derived from the base of the Germanic words for north and the Germanic base of the words for man. However, given the frequent movement of Germanic groups especially into and out of Britain in the post-classical world, it is unclear in what tongue it came to be used first. In addition, the generally accepted meaning, a person from Normandy or one of the many French speaking invaders to Britain, was used chiefly by Anglo-Norman and Old French, though it originally referred to any Scandinavian of the time. See also Northman.

The langue d'oïl variant, closely related to the French of "Ile de France" (i.e. Paris), spoken in Normandy and the Channel Islands, which influenced the development of Quebec French (until the mid 20th century), and was for several centuries the ruling language of England (see Anglo-Norman).